As a job seeker, you want to consistently show up in search results for candidates with your set of qualifications, ideally higher than other candidates, which is often called LinkedIn SEO or improving your LinkedIn search rank. And, you want to stand out from the other candidates and engage the interest of the recruiters so they click on your profile snapshot to learn more and, eventually, to get to your full profile information.
The right keywords
If you want to be found by recruiters on LinkedIn, it is important that you implement the right keywords in your LinkedIn profile.
What is important in terms of keywords is that you identify the right keywords. So you should familiarize yourself with what words a recruiter want to search for when he / she is searching for you.
How to prepare
Find out which words or job descriptions that are typically used within your industry. Look at job listings for positions that match what you're after. Compare then the various ads and find out which words or job descriptions are used the most - and then customize your LinkedIn profile so that the most frequently used job titles appear in your profile.
You may have included IT consultant in your LinkedIn profile. After research among job online, you might find the other names for the same type of job, such as Microsoft consultant, IT management, Project Manager, Senior IT Developer, Sales Representative, etc. Other frequently used words in job ads might be: an experienced, proactive, independent, competent, etc.
Compare the results of your research and find out the 5-6 most common job titles that are used in job advertisements.
Insert job titles in the right places
Once you find out which job titles are commonly used in your industry, it is important to incorporate them into your profile - and in the right places.
The 1-2 main keywords or jobtitles should be your headline. A headline could be, for example "Experienced and talented Project Manager with Social Media competencies."
Another thing that counts in the search is job titles. When writing about your past and current positions, you should use what you discovered in your research.
Additionally, you can also write keywords in your Summary and Specialties, although it is not weighted as highly.
Tips:
- Your profile must be 100% "complete," at LinkedIn standards. Knowing your completion percentage, go to "Edit profile" and see what can be specified in the "Profile Completeness" box in the right column.
- Ensure that the "industry" choice on top of your profile is linked to the job you want - not the job you had.
- Include a detailed work history, with clear job descriptions and well-written job descriptions that describe both your responsibilities and your main findings.
- Avoid using slashes between critical keywords, for example, "sales / marketing." LinkedIn's search technology does not always recognize the two words separately. Instead, use a comma with a space or one of those fancy vertical slashes with spaces, like "sale |. Marketing"
